Search

Cyprus with its rich cultural heritage has been the showcase of ornamentation throughout history with a rich variety of materials, details, and narratives. Integrating ornamentation with its body architecture can be seen as one of the storytellers of these narratives through design elements. After the mid-1990s when casinos had been banned in Turkey, five-star casino hotels became one of the main investment areas in North Cyprus. Together with this new building type and new users' expectations with a new understanding of holidays, the 21st century brought the changing use of ornamentation in hotel interiors and, hence, decoration came to the fore more than before. Hotel lobbies welcoming the users to their second homes and introducing the hotels' identities have always been seen as the most important area of hotels by investors, designers, and hotel managers. Sometimes the reception areas were perceived as the living room of the hotel customers where they feel attached culturally, socially, or economically, and sometimes it could be a place where they can feel themselves as one of the characters of ancient history, a king or a queen for a while. Hence, hotel interiors, in general, and hotel lobbies, in particular, acted as a cultural representative, a social status symbol, and a political image of the story told. The aim of this paper is to examine five-star hotel lobbies within the framework of ornamentation through a reading model created with the concepts used by theoreticians. Together with the site visits and visual recordings, the analysis conducted in this paper is based on qualitative data incorporated by a rich theoretical background on ornamentation. The paper tries to highlight the representational value of ornamentation that can help to understand and interpret the spatial transformation of hotel interiors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the assembly of an updated dataset of detrital zircon geochronology and Lu–Hf isotopes for Turkey, Cyprus and Greek peninsula. This first version of the dataset documented 286 samples with detrital zircon U–Pb data and 70 samples with zircon Lu–Hf isotopes from 42 published articles. These samples are mainly distributed in seven geologic‐tectonic units in the Eastern Mediterranean Tethyan region. The compilation of dataset will be periodically accessed in the Deep‐Time Digital Earth repository, containing more updated raw data of (un)published scientific research. We believe that the construction of such a dataset is fundamental to studies of clastic strata and also to understanding of crustal evolution in the Eastern Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper which comes under the theme of macro-historical perspectives and Mediterranean history I shall discuss the exchange of gifts in three sections: first between the Lusignan kings of Cyprus and the sultans of Mamluk Egypt and Syria, between the Lusignan kings and the Turkish emirs of Anatolia, and thirdly between the Venetian rulers of Cyprus, including Queen Catherine Cornaro, and the Mamluk sultans for the period postdating 1473. Many of these exchanges of gifts took place during times of war, sometimes during the prelude to hostilities and sometimes immediately after their end. In addition, exchanges of gifts between Christian and Muslim rulers occasionally took place at times of peace. The reasons why gifts were exchanged, the type of gifts exchanged when these are described, not an invariable occurrence, and the symbolism underlying these exchanges of gifts will also be analyzed where possible. Furthermore, occasions when the recipient refused to accept the gift and why it was rejected shall also be examined. Where possible, comparisons with the exchange of gifts taking place in other societies and countries of the Eastern Mediterranean will be alluded to and discussed. In terms of source materials, the Cypriot chronicles of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries will form the principal source but reference shall also be made to diplomatic correspondence of the period under discussion. The exchanges of gifts normally took place within a diplomatic setting, this being the arrival of embassies, and gifts were sent sometimes to the close advisers of a ruler who could influence his policy and decision-making. On certain occasions, however, the exchanges of gifts could take place outside of this diplomatic context, for example as an expression of gratitude for assistance received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ataturk Arastirma Merkezi Dergisi is the property of Ataturk Arastirma Merkezi Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A strong M7.8 earthquake (02/06/2023; 01:17:36.1 UTC) followed by a second event (M7.5) on the same day (10:24:49 UTC) in Central Turkey caused extensive damage and fatalities (>> 50,000 in Turkey and Syria). Ground shaking exceeding 1.0 g in some locations (USGS, EMSC), structural damage, and multiple secondary effects were documented by Turkish and Greek reconnaissance teams in preliminary reports (e.g., (Lekkas, et al., 2023), reports to the EMSC). The M7+ earthquakes were widely felt in Turkey and in neighboring countries, such as Greece, the Balkan region, and Italy, as far as 1200 km and beyond. Flooding was also reported in few locations, including the bay of Alexandretta and in Salqin, Idlib, Syria. Sea level stations recorded a small tsunami, and tsunami runup was observed in Cyprus and Turkey. Through security cameras and personal cellphone footage, seismic seiches were recorded across Turkey and Cyprus. Some localities even reported multiple incidences of seiches over the course of the earthquake sequence in the same body of water. Observations of seiches are rare in the Eastern Mediterranean and are therefore especially valuable to document. Most importantly, the set of observations collected here is one-of-a-kind dataset (the most extensive dataset in Turkey and a unique dataset of seiche observations for Cyprus). Spatial analysis of seiche observations may also be valuable in documenting areas prone to liquefaction and vice versa, with particular use in the study of older or historical earthquakes. In this paper, we document the coastal effects of the Kahramanmaras Turkey earthquakes, followed by a first-order analysis. Satellite images were also processed to showcase the extent of flooding that followed the large twin earthquakes and lasted at least 3 days around the bay of Alexandretta. The source of flooding likely is a combination of subsidence, liquefaction and the tsunami that ensued. Tsunami amplitudes were small but clearly recorded in few stations; the tsunami's genesis mechanism is in debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the face of ongoing school budget cuts, increasing student numbers and national educational policy environments that demand more from schools, like it or not, school leaders are being forced to be much more market-oriented in their thinking and ways of being than at any other time before. A school is an important site for social development, and in some communities in some countries, there may be only one school in an entire community. Nevertheless, as countries continue to grapple with reduced government funding on education, many schools risk the threat of closure. And, as education consumers (parents) and users (students) demand more and better value and results from schools, competition between schools have simultaneously increased. Thus, the environment in which school leaders' work is requiring and fostering entrepreneurial leadership. The findings reported in this paper, derive from a larger sixteen country, five continent study of 61 school leaders on the "Nature of School Leadership". The main conclusions presented in this paper are that, male and female school leaders approach entrepreneurial in very different ways; "national culture" and "national context" significantly influences and shape the work, and thus the attitudes and behaviours of school leaders, who must embrace entrepreneurialism as an essential skill, and a response to changes in school funding arrangements, and the changing role of education in national educational policy agendas.

This document is a list of books and articles that library patrons can use to further explore the topic of Turkey-Cyprus relations and European foreign policy. The sources come from reputable academic publishers and journals, covering various aspects of the subject, such as the history of the Cyprus conflict, the role of the European Union in Cyprus, and the geopolitical dynamics of EU-Turkey relations. These resources provide a comprehensive and diverse range of perspectives for researchers interested in this topic. [Extracted from the article]

For hundreds of years, the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been subjected to the — not always welcome — attentions of external powers, finally gaining some independence from Britain in 1960. Since then, Cyprus has been the object of three international crises, almost leading to war between NATO members Greece and Turkey. Following a Turkish invasion and occupation which continues to the present, tensions have continued, while Turkey continues to occupy over one-third of Cyprus, an EU member, while trying itself to gain entry to the organisation. Papers released by British government departments in January 2008 reveal the following: an increasingly submissive yet tetchy attitude in British foreign policy formulation vis-à-vis American pressure (mainly Kissinger) on Britain not to leave Cyprus; the question of the USA financing the British bases; British government criticism of Turkey's perceived intransigence in finding a solution to the Cyprus conundrum; British government criticism of Turkey's position on its continental-shelf dispute with Greece; Britain's strong support for Turkey's European aspirations, flying in the face of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Cyprus' recommendations; past and future President Clerides' seeming contentedness with the British military presence on Cyprus; and a marked difference between French and British views. The article concludes that the British government submitted to US demands and suggests that Cyprus remains a cat's paw of big-power politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article maps the scientific production and the contents associated with the sustainable development goals and their integration with universities during the past 21 years. Although many of the topics related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been addressed in different studies for decades, it is since 2015 onwards that they gained greater prominence due to the inclusion of higher education as an important actor in the fulfillment of the 2030 agenda and the United Nations SDGs. For the purpose of this paper, a bibliometric analysis of 871 papers, 535 documents in Scopus, and 336 in Web of Science (WoS) from 1998 to 2019 was performed, and the Bibliometrix analysis tool was used. The objective of this mapping is to answer the following research question: Is the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universities a field of study? An analysis of the network of collaborators and trend topics in Scopus and WoS allows us to identify the concurrence and relationships of some keywords, such as sustainable development, sustainability and planning, and some background words, such as humans and global health. In another analysis, the word "higher education" is related to change. This article suggests that the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in Universities is becoming a field of study under exploration, with a peak of production in 2016 and that has remained stable in the last three years, but thanks to the leading role assigned to Universities, intellectual production should increase in the following years.

The purpose of the paper is to present the framework and design of modules aiming to teach socio-scientific issues and the related pedagogy to pre-service teachers. Specifically, the work presented in this paper is part of the PreSEES project, a Comenius/LLP project with the main aim of engaging elementary and secondary pre-service teachers in critical discussions of everyday science through socio-scientific issues (SSI) and prepare them to teach SSI. We first present the aims of our project, and a framework designed around learning to teach SSI, including pedagogical and theoretical aspects concerning teaching SSI. Finally we present three modules that were designed based on the framework aiming to present these guidelines to pre-service teachers (primary and secondary). The emphasis of the modules is on presenting pedagogical issues related to SSI, with an emphasis on the nature of SSI issues, and pedagogical implications of teaching and assessing SSI. The aforementioned issues are presented in various contexts, such as global warming and edible insects.

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The impact of tourism activities on local water resources remains a largely understudied issue in environmental and sustainable tourism management. The aim of the paper is to present a simple methodology that allows an estimate of direct and indirect local water use associated with different holiday packages and to then discuss relevant management implications. This is explored through the creation of five illustrative examples of holidays to semi-arid eastern Mediterranean destinations: Cyprus (2), Turkey, Greece and Syria. Using available data on water use associated with different forms of travel, accommodation and tourist activities, indicative water footprints are calculated for each of the illustrative examples. Food consumption by tourists appears to have by far the most significant impact on the overall water footprint and this aspect of water use is explored in detail in the paper. The paper also suggests a way of employing the water footprint methodology along with import/export balance sheets of main food commodities to distinguish between the global and local pressure of tourism demand on water resources. Water resource use is likely to become an increasingly important issue in tourism management and must be considered alongside more established environmental concerns such as energy use, using methodologies that can capture direct as well as supply chain impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Metaphors are figures of speech in which a word or phrase that denotes a certain object or idea is applied to another word or phrase to imply some similarity between them. Due to their ability to make speaking and writing more lively and interesting, metaphors have always been popular among students. While metaphors provide significant enhancement of contexts and build upon the sense of community, they can limit the boundaries of the communication between students and teachers. In order to carry out student oriented courses, teachers ought to consider the metaphors students use. In an effort to understand and fill in this communication gap, the authors of this paper have initiated a study that aimed to drive out the e-education students' metaphors in order to suggest a vision for future e-courses. The authors have designed the "E-Education Metaphor Analysis Survey" that comprised 35 items and captured data about e-education students' metaphors. The questionnaire was posted on Surveymonkey.com and was distributed to e-education students in two countries: Turkey and Cyprus. 352 students filled the questionnaire. The answers revealed that the metaphors students use are influenced by their way of life, their personal characteristics, their educational background and their feelings. Internet was the most common metaphor used for e-education. A very interesting fact was that 47% of the students considered E-Student to be equivalent to "rich students' education" and that the term recalled them the metaphor "richness". Although there were many research studies on common metaphors and their impact on e-education, there were no studies in the literature about eLearning metaphors. This paper presents an innovative approach that focuses on 7 key research questions and represents a first step of a more detailed future project undertaken by the authors. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Market economies in the eastern Mediterranean are not counted among ideal‐typical innovators. But this picture may be changing. This article explores the emerging innovation systems in the eastern Mediterranean by examining recent data and the literatures on varieties of capitalism and innovation systems. Through the cases of Cyprus, Israel, and Turkey, the study argues that the varieties of capitalism framework, by focusing on performance at the macro level, disregards the subnational performance of these outlier markets, which have promising regional or local innovation systems. Fostering cooperation among these emerging innovation systems could become a valuable instrument for overcoming deeply rooted conflicts in the eastern Mediterranean, which has turned into a "crisis zone" due to recent energy discoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly toxic orange-spotted toadfish Torquigener hypselogeneion (Bleeker 1852) [conspecific Torquigener flavimaculosus Hardy & Randall, 1983] is now a very common invasive fish in the Eastern Mediterranean. Its small size, well under 20 cm, may have concealed the danger it represents, and little is known about its biology or ecology. Here, the spawning seasons, gonado- and hepato-somatic index and condition factors of T. hypselogeneion from 3 locations of the Eastern Mediterranean are presented, based on a total of 1360 individuals sampled, i.e., 216 from Finike, 817 from Fethiye (both Turkey), and 327 from Cyprus. Our results show that T. hypselogeneion is a carnivorous species that forages on sandy bottoms, with a preference for small invertebrates, especially the small invasive gastropod Cerithium scabridum, crustaceans (hermit crabs, other crabs and barnacles), and sea urchins; however, at least in some localities, they appear to forgo eating during their peak reproductive period. The parameters of the von Bertalanffy Growth Function for T. hypselogeneion in the Eastern Mediterranean were: asymptotic length = 17.4 cm (total length; TL) and K = 0.96 year-1, implying a longevity of about 4 years, while the mean length at first maturity was about 10 cm (TL) for both sexes. An average-sized adult female (13 cm TL, 45.7 g live weight) was found to contain 1,250 eggs per gram body weight. Based on its high invasiveness and negative impacts to ecology of the Eastern Mediterranean and the human health, we suggest that T. hypselogeneion should be listed as a priority invasive species and that its population closely monitored within the Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ataturk Arastirma Merkezi Dergisi is the property of Ataturk Arastirma Merkezi Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Patriotism is an important and well-accepted value in educational institutions. As a civic virtue, it has always been included in education/training programs. This study aims to compare research articles on teaching of patriotism that were conducted in the last 20 years. The document analysis method was employed in the study for this purpose. The data were collected through the international databases e.g. Wiley, Jstore, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis. 218 articles were found by searching the keywords "patriotism", "patriotic education", and "teaching of patriotism". Upon initial analysis, it was decided that 110 articles would serve the purpose of this study. Content analysis technique was employed to reveal patterns of the selected articles. The number of articles published on patriotic education in each countries, the publication dates of these articles and the comparison of these articles according to countries, purposes, is presented in this study. The paper at hand shows that only some articles have a critical perspective on patriotism. Implications are made based on results.

Voluminous moderate- to high-magnesian [Mg# = molar Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) = 44–64] andesitic and dacitic rocks with high silica (mostly 61–66 wt%) adakitic affinity (Y = 13–22, Yb = 1.3–2.1, Sr/Y = 18–44, La/Yb = 10–25) and common mafic magmatic enclaves (MMEs) are first reported in the Keçiboyduran stratovolcano (KSV) from the Cappadocia volcanic province (CVP), Central Anatolia, Turkey. We present comprehensive whole-rock geochemistry and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data, mineral chemical compositions and 40Ar–39Ar ages for KSV samples. Based on the volcanostratigraphy and 40Ar–39Ar dating results, two successive eruption ages of 2.2–1.6 Ma (stage I: amphibole-rich) and 1.6–1.2 Ma (stage II: pyroxene-rich) were established for the KSV, corresponding to the Gelasian and Calabrian stages of Early Pleistocene, respectively. Textural and geochemical evidence indicates that the KSV magnesian andesites–dacites are products of a hybrid magma formed by mixing between mantle-derived mafic and crust-derived felsic magmas with further fractionation and minor contamination during magma storage and ascent. Our new data, combined with previous geological and geophysical results suggest that parental magnesian mafic melts of the KSV rocks originated from a heterogenous mantle source generated through the metasomatism of mantle wedge material by subducted sediment-derived melts, and then partially melted through asthenospheric upwelling in response to slab break-off. The mafic magma underplated the overlying lower crust, resulting in its partial melting to generate crustal felsic magma. Both magmas mixed at lower crustal levels creating MME-rich hybrid magmas. Subsequently, the hybrid magmas were emplaced at different depths of the crust (c. 4–11 and 11–15 km for the stage I and II, respectively), where they crystallized at moderate temperatures (c. 1180–840 °C) and under relatively high oxygen fugacity (LogƒO2 = − 11.4 to − 9.2), water-rich (H2Omelt = 5.6–3.6 wt%) and polybaric (~ 1.2 to 5.1 kbars) conditions, and underwent fractionation of primarily amphibole ± pyroxene causing adakitic affinity. We propose a new petrogenetic model for the early Quaternary magnesian/adakitic andesites/dacites of the CVP in a post-subduction tectonic setting. Our results provide robust evidence for slab break-off of the eastern Cyprus oceanic lithosphere and put further constraints on the tectonic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean collision zone during the Early Quaternary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Social Research is the property of Journal of International Social Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper is describing an initiative in cultural, outdoor science education that took place in the west Crete-Greece (Chania & Rethymnon counties) in 2015, and organized in collaboration with teachers and social bodies, to connect Science, Education and Local Communities for a better quality of everyday life. The initiative concentrated in organizing the European Educational Conference "Mediterranean Sea Connects Us: Progress in Education with Local Communities", which hosted as a training program that can be applied elsewhere, with different target groups, promoting the aims of participatory acquisition of knowledge by sharing them in company, with experiential activities in moments of joy, happiness and wisdom. Educators-officials of high level and much experienced in the three levels of Education from Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Romania, with representatives from local bodies, were invited to deposit experience, aspects, ideas and expectations on future educational collaboration in the area of Balkans, East Mediterranean and widely. As coexisting in the same geographical area, with long and important common past, as collaborators in educational projects from the past, intended to be partners in important and innovative future jointed actions in cultural STEM Education, for the progress of Mediterranean local educational communities.

Lifelong education is a process including positive and negative experiences at the same time. Negative experiences mostly appear as impediments to the overseas students. They need to overcome impediments they experience throughout their education. The paper discussed the key findings of a two-year research project for identifying the impediments and their frequency faced in the higher education sector and for proposing a managerial model. This case study adopted a descriptive methodology under qualitative research paradigm. Data were collected through focus group interviews (FGIs) and in-depth interviews (I-DIs). Focus group members (FGMs) were 50 OSs studying various departments and various universities in NC. I-DIs were taken place with 75 different overseas university students (dOSs) studying at various departments of universities in NC. The impediments are identified on mobility, adaptation, internationalization and maturation which are strongly affected by the feelings and affections, changes, irregularities and barriers. The managerial model is based on managing accommodation and transportation; managing studentship; managing student health; managing students' welfare and managing being worldwide.

The purpose of this study is to observe prospective teachers' cognitive structures related to Turkish World. In this scanning model study, WAT (Word Association Test) had been applied to 332 prospective teachers in Nigde Ömer Halisdemir University. And they were asked to write what comes into their heads when it is said Turkish Republics and Turkish World. Words were given to the prospective teachers. According to the research, "Turk" is the only common Word which is related to the concept of six independent Turkish Republics and Turkish World. There is no any other common word except this, perceived by prospective teachers. Students generally independent Turkish Republic and Turkey they do not have a lot of information and perceptions about the world; they know the general concept of popular culture, it said they did not know specific concepts or people belonging to the country. Independent of the Turkish states K.K.T.C. It has become the most irrelevant and disconnected with other countries. K.K.T.C. with the only common link between other countries "Turkey" was the word. Students are most perceptive grasp of Azerbaijan, while country-owned; they have been gripping the country at least perceptually Uzbekistan. [This article was presented at the 3rd International Dynamic, Exploratory and Active Learning Conference (IDEAL 2016).]

This study sheds new light on the relative impact of switching between languages and switching between cultures on Executive Functions (EFs) in bilinguals. Several studies have suggested that bilingualism has a measurable impact on executive functioning, presumably due to bilinguals' constant practice in dealing with two languages, or two cultures. Yet, the evidence on the relative contribution of culture and bilingualism to EFs is not well understood, because disentangling language, culture and immigration status is very difficult. The novelty of our approach was to keep the language pair and immigration status constant, whilst the cultural identity of participants was systematically varied, and measured at the individual level (not just at group level). Two groups of Turkish–English bilinguals, all adult immigrants to the United Kingdom, took part in the study, but one group (n = 29) originated from mainland Turkey and the other (n = 28) from Cyprus. We found that the bilinguals experienced smaller Conflict Effects on a Flanker task measuring inhibition, by comparison with monolingual British participants (n = 30). The key variable explaining EF performance variance at the individual level turned out to be bilinguals' Multicultural Identity Style. In particular those who indicated that they attempted to alternate between different British and Turkish (Cypriot) identity styles were found to have shorter RTs on incongruent trials of the Flanker task. The two multicultural identity variables, Alternating and Hybrid Identity Styles, together explained 32% in RTs over and above Education, Working Memory and Nonverbal reasoning (overall explained variance 49%). Thus, the data provide strong evidence for the impact of culture on EFs. We suggest that, as a result of their daily practice in recognizing cultural cues which highlight the need to switch to a different cultural frame, multicultural bilinguals develop a heightened context-sensitivity, and this gives them an advantage over monolinguals in a Flankers task. Our approach, which draws on models from cross-cultural psychology, bilingualism and executive functioning, illustrates the importance of theory building in which sociolinguistic and cultural variables are integrated into models of EFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distance education has been one of the hottest changes in the training sector last years. In an effort to understand and visualise this change, the authors of this paper have initiated a study that aimed to drive out the distance education students' metaphors in the last 5 years. The authors have distributed the "Distance Education Metaphor Analysis Survey" that comprised 35 items and captured information about distance education students' metaphors. First time in 2008, the questionnaire was distributed randomly to 120 university students in North Cyprus and Turkey. Same research study is repeated for the years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Although students' metaphors were influenced by their way of life, their gender and their country; the "Impossible" metaphor was "out", and "Possible" metaphor was "in".

Distance Learners with different backgrounds may have different perceptions about distance education. Prior experience, pre-existing attitudes and beliefs all may play a role in determining whether a student will be successful in distance education or not. Does distance learning work better for some students as opposed to than others? Is this due to their distance learning skills/abilities or something else? These questions are the driving force of this survey. Responses of 495 distant learners from Turkey and Cyprus differed according to their sex. It was found that there is a curious paradox in distance education in regards to the following statements: "e-confidence results in e-success"; "e-anxiety is an obstacle for e-course capability"; "reasons of 'not choosing' distance education courses are not same as the reasons of 'drooping' it." Does this all mean resistance to distance education? Discussions all about these are given. [This article was presented at the World Conference on Educational and Instructional Studies (WCEIS) (Antalya, Turkey, Nov 7-9, 2012).]

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) initiatives in schools have become widespread across Europe and beyond in the last decade or so. Drivers for this include the role of English as the language of international economic activity, media and culture, belief in the value of early start and meaning-focussed instruction in foreign language learning, and a policy position which promotes a multilingual Europe. In many contexts, CLIL initiatives are local: teachers and educational leaders with assistance from teacher educators and experts in universities establish programmes, which are then shaped by available resources, human and material. While the commitment, enthusiasm and energy for CLIL at classroom and school levels are essential requirements for educational innovation, they may not, in the longer term be enough for sustainability and ongoing development. This paper examines the implementation of CLIL as an innovation and identifies some issues where wider policy support and coordination may be useful. It draws on the findings of an evaluation study of a CLIL project implemented in four countries, and identifies issues and ways forward for an effective strategy for CLIL in terms of foreign language learning, subject learning, and positive learning experiences for every child.

The island of Cyprus embodies two distinct communities having their own systems of education. On the road to EU certain parallelisms need to be set as it is the goal of this study on math's education. This paper will concentrate on K1-K12 math's education. The topics to be dealt with will cover math's curriculum at all levels; weekly distribution of math classes, as well as their proportion to the other courses offered. Students are expected to be more creative in class rather than resorting to rote learning even in math education. The study will also try to shed light on class size. Finally the math teachers and their educational background will be looked into so as to check into their prior math knowledge. The main goal is to bring about the similarities and differences and to come up with the standards of EU as well. (Contains 6 tables.)

Background: New foci of human CL caused by strains of the Leishmania donovani (L. donovani) complex have been recently described in Cyprus and the Çukurova region in Turkey (L. infantum) situated 150 km north of Cyprus. Cypriot strains were typed by Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE) using the Montpellier (MON) system as L. donovani zymodeme MON-37. However, multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) has shown that this zymodeme is paraphyletic; composed of distantly related genetic subgroups of different geographical origin. Consequently the origin of the Cypriot strains remained enigmatic. Methodology/Principal Findings: The Cypriot strains were compared with a set of Turkish isolates obtained from a CL patient and sand fly vectors in south-east Turkey (Çukurova region; CUK strains) and from a VL patient in the south-west (Kuşadasi; EP59 strain). These Turkish strains were initially analyzed using the K26-PCR assay that discriminates MON-1 strains by their amplicon size. In line with previous DNA-based data, the strains were inferred to the L. donovani complex and characterized as non MON-1. For these strains MLEE typing revealed two novel zymodemes; L. donovani MON-309 (CUK strains) and MON-308 (EP59). A population genetic analysis of the Turkish isolates was performed using 14 hyper-variable microsatellite loci. The genotypic profiles of 68 previously analyzed L. donovani complex strains from major endemic regions were included for comparison. Population structures were inferred by combination of Bayesian model-based and distance-based approaches. MLMT placed the Turkish and Cypriot strains in a subclade of a newly discovered, genetically distinct L. infantum monophyletic group, suggesting that the Cypriot strains may originate from Turkey. Conclusion: The discovery of a genetically distinct L. infantum monophyletic group in the south-eastern Mediterranean stresses the importance of species genetic characterization towards better understanding, monitoring and controlling the spread of leishmaniasis in this region. Author Summary: In eastern Mediterranean, leishmaniasis represents a major public health problem with considerable impact on morbidity and potential to spread. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by L. major or L. tropica accounts for most cases in this region although visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by L. infantum is also common. New foci of human CL caused by L. donovani complex strains were recently described in Cyprus and Turkey. Herein we analyzed Turkish strains from human CL foci in Çukurova region (north of Cyprus) and a human VL case in Kuşadasi. These were compared to Cypriot strains that were previously typed by Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE) as L. donovani MON-37. Nevertheless, they were found genetically distinct from MON-37 strains of other regions and therefore their origin remained enigmatic. A population study was performed by Multilocus Microsatellite Typing (MLMT) and the profile of the Turkish strains was compared to previously analyzed L. donovani complex strains. Our results revealed close genetic relationship between Turkish and Cypriot strains, which form a genetically distinct L. infantum monophyletic group, suggesting that Cypriot strains may originate from Turkey. Our analysis indicates that the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in this region is more complicated than originally thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negotiating the right of return is a central issue in post-conflict societies aiming to resolve tensions between human rights issues and security concerns. Peace proposals often fail to carefully balance these tensions or to identify incentives and linkages that enable refugee return. To address this gap, the article puts forward an alternative arrangement in negotiating refugee rights currently being considered in the bilateral negotiations in Cyprus. Previous peace plans for the reunification of the island emphasized primarily Turkish Cypriot security and stipulated a maximum number of Greek Cypriot refugees eligible to return under future Turkish Cypriot administration. The authors' alternative suggests a minimum threshold of Greek Cypriots refugees plus self-adjustable incentives for the Turkish Cypriot community to accept the rest. The article reviews different options including linking actual numbers of returnees with naturalizations for Turkish settlers or immigrants, Turkey's EU-accession, and territorial re-adjustments across the federal border. In this proposed formula, the Greek Cypriot side would reserve concessions until refugee return takes place, while the Turkish Cypriot community would be 'demographically secure' under all scenarios by means of re-adjustable naturalization and immigration quotas. Drawing parallels with comparable cases, the article emphasizes the importance of making reciprocity and linkages explicit in post-conflict societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resolution of the three major political problems faced by the contemporary Turkish nation-state—namely, the massacres of the Armenians in the past, the treatment of the Kurds at present, and the contested partition of the island of Cyprus—has become increasingly urgent as these problems have started to impede Turkey's chances of joining the European Union and also of becoming more democratic. Yet, since the Turkish nation-state commences its own official historical narrative with either the Independence Struggle in 1919 or the subsequent establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, it subsequently approaches these "Armenian, Kurdish, and Cyprus issues" as totally disparate and mutually independent, and in an ahistorical manner, resulting in increased entrenchment of the conflicts. The article argues that challenging the temporal boundaries of this Turkish official narrative by delving into its "prehistory," namely, the period preceding 1919 or 1923, reveals not only the common origin of all of these issues but also a possible peaceful solution to them all as well as for a more democratic Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the property issue and human rights in Cyprus. Here, researchers involve a detailed examination of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) proceedings on the property-related Greek Cypriot, individual or state, applications against Turkey. The primary objective of the study is to identify the way in which the two sides involved in the proceedings have attempted to advance the critical aspects of their political positions as well as to demonstrate how they have regarded the property issue as a major instrument for promoting their two different national causes.

When the European Council in 2004 decided to open accession negotiations with Turkey, it linked Turkey's accession process with the Cyprus problem and made the signature of an Additional Protocol to the EC-Turkey Customs Union Agreement extending this Agreement to the ten new Member States of the Union, including the Republic of Cyprus, a precondition for the start of accession negotiations. Not having been recognizing the Republic of Cyprus since 1963, Turkey had to avoid everything that could be interpreted as a recognition of the Republic of Cyprus when concluding the Additional Protocol. This led Turkey in September 2005 to make a "Declaration on Cyprus" when signing the Protocol which, in turn, triggered a counter declaration by the European Community and its Member States. The two declarations do not qualify as reservations but are general statements of policy, or, at best, interpretative declarations that do not have any effect on the substance of the Protocol and that are not binding upon the parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]